Guitar Lessons

Jonathan has been teaching guitar lessons since March with a group of kids in Lanzo. This was his first experience teaching in a group setting with about 9-10 students. It was a bit of a challenge at times in keeping everyone focused but overall things have gone really well. He did a great job learning all of his chord symbols (Do-Re-Me...) and terminology in Italian. The kids come faithfully each week so that has been an encouragement.

As much as we can we like to involve the whole family in our ministries and activities. It would be way easier and much more convenient for me to just stay at home with the kids after school while Jonathan went to lessons on his own. It would be great to not have to come home and prepare dinner and then eat at 8 o'clock at night. However, it has been such a blessing for us as a family to support him by tagging along each week.

The hour and a half that we are usually there for lessons has been a highlight for my week as well. It has been such a blessing for me to have more conversation time with some very dear believing ladies and to develop deeper relationships with them. They are very patient with me and are always helpful in correcting my Italian. They have also gone above and beyond in helping me learn the culture of the Italian kitchen. Our cooking exchange was born out of a genuine interest in each others cultures and a desire to share and learn from each other.

Although, I have been cooking Italian since I arrived to Italy, there is nothing compared to learning from the experts. Most of their recipes are passed down from generation to generation without written record. "This is how my mother always did it" and "you just have learn from experience to get it just right". I am very American and like precise measurements in my recipes, so the cooking with improvisation and general guidelines in a recipe has been a good stretch and challenge for me. So far I have learned how to make pizza, polpetta (their type of meat loaf), spaghetti alla carbonarra (includes eggs, bacon, cream, Parmesan) and tiramisu'. I in return have taught them how to make Mexican rice and chocolate chip cookies.

The school year is coming to an end in three weeks and therefore, this ministry will conclude upon the start of summer vacation. Jonathan hopes to resume lessons in the fall at our community center in Caselle. We'll see if he retains the students with the location move. We will have an end of the year picnic sometime in June with the students and their families so hopefully I'll be able to post a group shot where you can see everyone. Here are some pictures that I quickly snapped this past week.

Matteo & Emanuele

Eleonora

Anna

Maruska, Noella, Sabrina & Silvia (plus kiddos)

Usually there are about six little ones which makes for a great playgroup while the mothers fellowship and cook together.